First Pool Build

[funk74]

This is our first pool build. Most of the equipment is listed in my signature line. Will update if there are any changes to it.

Basic Plan of the pool:







Details:

NEW POOL CONSTRUCTION - 36’ X 16’ (16,365 GALLONS)

PERIMETER ~ 116’

DEPTHS ARE- 3’ 6”- 6’6”

REBAR - REBAR TO BE #3 (3/8) TIED ON 8" CENTERS. REBAR WILL BE DOUBLED ON WALLS AND ALL BEAMS.

GUNITE - LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY. GUNITE IS HAND FORMED AND MAY NOT BE EXACT. WARRANTY DOES NOT INCLUDE SHELL FLOATING OR SHIFTING FROM DRAINING POOL.
BASE OF POOL POURED AT 10" DEEP.
WALLS WILL BE POURED AT 8" THICK.
MAIN BEAMS (UNDER COPING) WILL BE 12" WIDE X 24" DEEP.

PLASTER - STONESCAPES MINIPEBBLE, 10 YEAR WARRANTY. THIS WILL ALLOW THE CUSTOMER TO GET A LONGER LIFE OUT OF THE PLASTER. CUSTOMER CAN CHOOSE 2 DIFFERENT COLORS GIVING YOUR POOL A CUSTOM LOOK AND FEEL!

CONCRETE DECKING - WE WILL POUR 4'' THICK CONCRETE WITH 3/8 REBAR ON 16'' CENTERS. REBAR TIED TO POOL SHELL, VINYL EXPANSION JOINTS AND DECKO DRAINS WILL BE INSTALLED AS NEEDED.

PLUMBING - INSTALLED BY A MASTER PLUMBER. POOL PLUMBING LINES TO 2.5" FOR BETTER FLOW.

SPA:
8’ X 9’
18” RAISED
(2) TRAVERTINE CAP SPILLWAY
(6) JETS
MOSAIC TOE TOUCH TILE

WATER FEATURE WALL:
RAISED GUNITE WALL
LEDGER STONE FRONT
STUCCO TO MATCH PAVERS ON BACK
(3) 18” BRASS SCUPPERS
(3) 24” COLUMNS

4’ firepit: will be a cinderblock frame, ledgerstone face, travertine top cap, a stainless steel fire ring with lava rock and fire glass on top with a manual gas valve.

REINSTALL SOD/GRASS UP TO (3) PALLETS (MAX)

REINSTALL WOOD FENCE AT COMPLETION

REPAIR ALL SPRINKLER HEADS IN THE FIELD OF WORK UP TO 3 ZONES (MAX)

WILL PROVIDE STARTUP SCHOOL UPON COMPLETION OF PROJECT SHOWING HOW TO USE THE REMOTE AND EXPLAIN THE EQUIPMENT. POOL CHEMISTRY AND FILTER CLEANING IS NOT A PART OF START UP SCHOOL. 1 MONTH COMPLIMENTARY POOL SERVICE AFTER INITIAL SET UP EMPTY BASKET, VACUUM, BRUSH, CHEMICAL BALANCE 8 (3 GALLON) PLANTS (1 YARD) MULCH AND (1 YARD) PLANTER MIX

 

[Texas Splash]

Good morning! Looks like it should be a nice build. My only comments:
1 - Remove the UV and ozone. Not needed. Plenty of TX sunlight for free to oxidize combined chlorines.
2 - An inline chlorinator (tabs) is for minimal use only (not daily). Why? They drive up the CYA level fast requiring a water exchange. You will either end-up adding liquid chlorine manually each day or need to consider a salt water generator (SWG).

FYI - Have a camera ready when you mention SWG to your builder. For some reason many of them think the minimal saline content in the water is the end of the world. It is not. The ~3,500 ppm of salt is nothing, and even non-salt liquid chlorine pools end-up with a saline contact almost that high over time. The salt is not destructive to equipment or stone in the area, but they may try to convince you otherwise. Do some searching here to understand. An SWG is the way to go. If it becomes a source of tension between you and the builder, at least ensure you have enough return line after all the other equipment and just before PVC goes back to the pool so that you can add one later.

 

[kimkats]

POOL CHEMISTRY AND FILTER CLEANING IS NOT A PART OF START UP SCHOOL.

It is a good thing you found TFP with that ^^^ You would think they would at least teach you how to clean the filter.............I bet you can guess why they did not................so they can charge you to do it!!

 

[funk74]

I had spoken to my PB initially and from what I had read I wanted a SWG. He said it was better not to. And I have a friend that built a pool a few years back and he said it was fine not to... There are so many opinions it's hard to figure all of this out. But I do appreciate the decreased workload when using the SWG.

My thinking is that if we have ozone and UV it will do the following for us:
1. decrease the amount of chlorine I need to use/produce
2. the particulates in the water will be filtered off better due to the Ozone radicals making the particle size larger when they react with it.
3. the UV will kill off anything that is resistant to the chlorine.

I'm not opposed to the SWG.
We will have this coping: 5cm 12X24 Shell Beach Bullnose Coping - Keystonetile
This ledger stone on the wall: 2X4 Shell Beach Split Face - Keystonetile
and these pavers covering the deck: Quartz White Arterra Pavers - Arterra Pavers from MSI

I believe the PB is opposed to the SWG due to the interaction with those materials and possible degradation over time. I think the pavers will be fine (porcelin), but the coping and the ledger maybe the issue. Only other option would be to change those out as well (which we might be able to do as MSI has matching coping)

What are your thoughts? I have heard only mixed opinions on these issues.

 

[pjt]

1. decrease the amount of chlorine I need to use/produce

The UV system would actually increase your chlorine demand since it depletes FC while operating.

2. the particulates in the water will be filtered off better due to the Ozone radicals making the particle size larger when they react with it.

Your filter is very capable of filtering without an ozone system.

3. the UV will kill off anything that is resistant to the chlorine.

We get plenty of free UV from the sun. Maintaining proper FC for your CYA level is the key to a sanitary pool.

Get a SWG. It's the obvious choice, especially for our area.

 

[RLP]

SWCG with a some liquid chlorine on hand to dose if needed for a swim party or other event. Oh, and the recommended test kit.

Simple, effective, and proven. Keep your free chlorine above the minimum for your cya, you'll never have a problem.

Don't waste the money on the uv or ozone. Simply not needed.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Typical TX pool builder responses. We have seen this for over a decade now - homeowners ask for an SWG and the pool builder comes up with all kinds of ridiculous, anecdotal stories about how the Earth will cease to exist if you dare use an SWG … nonsense. I have had an SWG on my pool for over 10 years now and it has been a huge benefit. I have a plaster pool, natural stone (flagstone) coping and a natural boulder/stone waterfall. All of it is 100% fine with the salinity of the pool water. Now in Texas I would not use flagstone because there is evidence that your locally quarried stone is weaker than what we have here in AZ but there are many different stone options to choose from aside from flagstone. What drives the degradation of stone and the damage to a pool from salt water is not the salt water but the fact that people don’t properly care for their pools or they don’t care for them at all by hiring a pool service or listening to ignorant pool store advice. Then their water chemistry gets totally out of whack and the low pH that results from overuse of solid chlorine sources (trichlor and dichlor are both acidic) damages everything in the pool and the equipment pad.

UV and ozone are a waste of money and it is well documented on TFP that people who use them eventually get rid of them.

It’s your pool and your money so you can do what you want. But your pool building is not the authority you think he is on equipment or chemistry and I would seriously advise you to stay on TFP and ask more questions.

 

[funk74]

Spoke to the PB. He said he was fine doing the salt system. Spoke to him about maybe changing the coping and the ledger stone to something that might work better with the salt system.

So on that topic. Which SWG to choose. Are there any pros and cons to different systems. We will have the hayward Omni automation. Don't know if that makes a difference.

They started the dig today.

 

[Texas Splash]

Spoke to the PB. He said he was fine doing the salt system.

Holy smokes! That's a rare one. Good for you.

We will have the hayward Omni automation.

I suspect they will recommend one of the Hayward models just to help ensure same-maker connectivity. Be sure they recommend a cell rated for at least 2X the size of your pool.

 

[Texas Splash]

Below is a nice link that allows you to see the various makes/models and how they are rated.

Compare and Review Saltwater Chlorine Generator Prices and Features | DSP

www.discountsaltpool.com